Evasive Her
by YourMouthHangingOpen
Summary: Because not all fixed marriages end up with a happy ending. The heroine wouldn't always get smitten by the cool guy who fell for her too. She was a coward and he's plain stubborn, and in that case, they just didn't match.
1. Prologue

Ha, I just got this idea all of a sudden. Haven't updated my other stories although the chapter's almost done. I'm a pro at procrastinating. Well, here we go.

Evasive her

by YourMouthHangingOpen

_Prologue_

A cold aura emanated from the huge oak doors leading to her bed room. Some maids had the courage and pressed their ears against the door but in vain, they couldn't hear a single thing. They went to a secluded place and relayed all the information that they have gathered, rather, relayed all the rumors and gossips that were circulating the whole manor.

"Haven't you heard? They said that they're going to force her to marry someone…" a girl whispered and the other's eyes widened.

"Really? I never thought that anyone could stand her!" another chimed in and shook her head vigorously. If there was something that they were sure in their lives, it was that their master likes to get her own way. A tyrant, they say. An introvert, they say.

But it never crossed their minds that she's a coward. No one said anything; no one dared to notice and say it aloud openly.

"Who's the unlucky guy?" They chuckled although they could feel a slight genuine sympathy, that is, deeply buried in their hearts.

"I hear that he's the son of a powerful and influential person. Someone called Yuga? Hugga? Huya? Hyuuya? Eh, I don't know!" a maid grumbled and someone shook their fists to express their disappointment.

"I know, I know! It's Hyuuga!" someone stood up straight and raised her chin up. Her fellow maids patted her at the back while the others just grumbled that it was just sheer luck that she got it first. It is a maid's world, one was bound to get on top of another, and the process repeats again.

"I can't believe I missed that out! Hyuuga is a popular name here in Okinawa!" They grumbled and some suppressed rolling their eyes. They didn't notice that the door opened and a skinny girl stepped out.

The maids' eyes widened, afraid that she had somewhat heard them talking. But the young Yukihara just walked passed them, and didn't even pay them any attention. It was as if they didn't exist in the first place.

A few moments passed and they held their breaths until they couldn't hear her foot steps anymore.

"Whoa, I didn't know she's so passive." They mumbled incoherently and stood up from their positions. It wasn't sheer luck that Mikan Yukihara chose not to turn her head and look at those eyes full of the truth that she tried so much to repress.

* * *

I'm going to update sooner. Please tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 1

Here it is. I own the plot, nothing else.

The chapters are going to be short, sorry.

Evasive her

by YourMouthHangingOpen

Chapter 1 Escaping

Silence filled the whole manor, except for the lone room in the farthest corridor. As usual, maids tried to eavesdrop but with the CCTV camera situated at the corner of the door, it'd be almost impossible to do so, unless they wanted to lose their job. A job that paid mighty well at that.

"Mom, please, don't do this to me.." a girl wailed and hung on to her mother's leg. The other woman was clearly frustrated and slightly angry at what her daughter was showing her. She tugged at her leg repeatedly but she held on like a monkey on a branch.

"Yes, I did already Mikan. You can't escape from me this time." She threatened and with that, her daughter loosened her grip and eventually let go.

"It's unfair, Mother. You're using your influence to force someone to marry me, even though he doesn't like it." She mumbled and stared ahead, her brown, stony eyes settling on an open window.

Yuka Yukihara just sighed and settled on a chair opposite her, not minding the fact that her daughter was sitting down on the cold, linoleum floor.

"You're afraid." She said, crossing her arms over her chest. Mikan turned her head to look at her mother who was sitting calmly, wondering how the hell she knew that.

"I'm not." Yuka sighed again and stood up.

"Yes you are. You're just afraid that he won't like you, much less love you. And considering what you look like now," she gestured at her "he won't." she concluded and her daughter looked at her ridiculously.

**.**

**.**

**.**

"What the hell Mom! How many Koreanovelas have you been watching?" she asked and her mother realized it and waved her hands in front of her.

"Okay, okay. I'm just being dramatic there, hon. No need to curse… I know, I know." she explained and sat down again. Mikan's sly smile was hidden by her hair and she chuckled silently, thanking the heavens for making her Mom think about it and fall into her trap. But she needs to think of a back-up plan. Once one thing goes wrong, maybe she'll end up marrying the guy who doesn't even like her and she'll just hide in a hole, letting her horrible husband do things with other women. And what if she meets the guy, the right one? What if he founds out that she's married already? Boom, Mikan will go insane, or there's Mikan no more.

She shuddered at her thoughts. 'What if…. Aha!'

"Mom, who's the guy? She asked curiously, praying to the heavens that he wasn't someone she knew. Yuka had an evil glint on her eyes, unaware of the façade of innocence her daughter was displaying.

"You know him," she slapped her forehead mentally, "he's The Natsume Hyuuga!" her Mom declared and this time, Mikan didn't even bother to hide the shock.

Natsume, her mortal enemy? Natsume, the Handsome? Natsume, the Marvelous? Natsume the Ridiculously Rich? Natsume the-

No, it wasn't like that. Those might be the clichés and she would've hidden in a hole if it was her mortal enemy. He might be handsome, but hell, why does Mikan care? The Marvelous? No idea, who knows he's just an idiot midget. Ridiculously Rich, yes- and that's what shocked Mikan.

"Mom, why does he have to be so rich? Can't you choose someone else?" she grumbled. Rich- meaning influence. Influence- meaning Power. Power- meaning Popularity.

And hell does Mikan want; much less need someone who'll get her secrets delved by crazy paparazzi.

Her mom smiled cunningly.

"You forgot, I am a Yukihara. And you are too. So you need to keep the legacy going." She said sternly, her posture turning straight.

"What if I escape all of that?" she asked under her breath and lifted her heated gaze to hers.

"What if I stuff the sofa into your mouth?" Yuka countered with a raise of an eyebrow. She chuckled and stood up from the floor without even bothering to dust herself. Ah, there's no dust anyway.

"I know, I know. No need to be harsh about it. Well," Mikan turned her back to her mom and waved a hand. "You know very well that you won't succeed even if you try your hardest, Mom." She said and exit the room, aware her Mom wouldn't get the double meaning.

Yuka stared at the door and called over, even though she knew her daughter wouldn't bother answering her.

"Hey, I will and can stuff this thing into your mouth!" she kicked a nearby chair but clutched her stinging foot afterwards.

Mikan could only smirk and ignore the nearby group of maids that were observing her intently, trying to make sense of the smirk that was plastered on her face. Yes, why would the young master smile after an argument with her mother? She watched them in the corner of her eye and walked ahead, enjoying the lingering silence.

"What the hell? Did you see what I saw?" A maid asked in a hushed tone, disregarding the broom that she was holding.

"I saw, I saw! It's the first time I saw any emotion on her face!" replied another.

"I heard their voices a while ago, and they were fighting! Positive about that!"

"Did you think she broke off the engagement? She was smirking, which means-"

"No, she didn't."

If she hadn't caught them gossiping, Yuka could have praised her employees. Their gasps created a magnificent sound, as if a wolf was deprived of its mate. Their faces could've made Van Gogh proud too.

"She didn't break off the engagement, you hear that?" she raised an eyebrow and let her voice resonate though out the whole manor. She caught sight of the slack grip of the maid on the broom and her breath hitched.

"Is this what I'm paying you for?" She whispered icily and the women felt shudders travel down their spines.

"Scram."

And the maids went off to different directions like mice being chased by a group of wild cats.

'Could this get any longer?'

'I'm wasting my time here.'

She groaned and stomped her foot. He growled and clenched his fists. Both were waiting at separate rooms, aching to be free from the grand rooms that secretly were prisons.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

"This is bringing the hell out of me…." She mutter and dialed numbers on her phone. She waited, and waited and waited…

"Hello?"

"Mom! How long do you intend to keep me here?" she said and Yuka had to keep the phone a few inches away.

"Hey, just stay there and be a nice guy. Don't do anything stupid." She warned and continued smiling at the Hyuugas who were eating peacefully.

"But I'm dying here!" she protested. Yuka's face was aching already with all the stretching. She didn't bother to hide it and stopped smiling all of a sudden. Meanwhile the Hyuugas just snorted and continued eating.

"I'm opening the door. Come here straight," she sneered, "and don't even try to escape from me. My lovely daughter." She looked straight ahead, ignoring the fact that their business partners were staring at her and chuckling.

"I'll think about it. And open the door-fast." Mikan threatened and stretched her arms and legs that have gone stiff. She closed the book that she was reading, _Forgiving, _and messed up her hair. If she's going there to present herself to the Hyuugas, therefore following her mother's orders, she better do what she wants with herself. The automatic door opened in front of her and she stepped forward before it can close again.

"I'll try not to mess up." She snorted and messed up her hair once more. There was a sudden movement and she turned her head to the left, catching a boy off-guard.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked and the lad shrugged.

"You're my fiancée." He said and headed to the hall. She caught up with him and grabbed his arm.

"Could you convince your parents to break off the engagement?" she asked and he just looked at her with his crimson eyes. He raised his eyebrows.

"If I did, would I be here?" he whispered and she glared. Mikan let go of him and pushed him forward.

"You go first." She gestured and wrinkled her white shirt. Natsume stared at her didn't move. She raised her fist.

"You ain't moving?" she threatened and he just looked at her, expressionless.

"The hell? I'll go first, then you follow after a minute." She ordered and jogged.

"We could just break the engagement. They'll just suffer in each other's hands." Kaoru Hyuuga said and wiped the sauce on the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.

"This is pure business, Kaoru. Are you crumbling already?" Yuka countered and raised her eyebrows at the woman who glared at her pointedly.

"My son is too good for your daughter." She told her straightly and grasped the table cloth.

"You don't know my daughter. She's a hundred times better than your good-for-nothing son."

The two women glared at each other, daring the other one to look away. But pride has its ways and ridiculous power and it had its grip around them.

But footsteps echoed along the hallway and their heads snapped irritably. A girl stepped out, with a wrinkled shirt, a messed up hair and gray jeans. Kaoru narrowed her eyes but didn't object. The girl was emanating a certain aura that once you looked at her, you can't look away. And there's no denying that she was indeed, good-looking.

"Good afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Hyuuga." She bowed stiffly and her brown eyes stared at them coldly. The girl didn't resemble her mother in anyway, except the eyes.

When they didn't reply, Mikan seated herself on a chair across her mother.

"Where's your son?" Yuka asked coldly. Mikan stared at her Mom and she just winked at her.

"I'm here." Mikan picked up a fork and stabbed the chicken. Kaoru smiled with an evil glint on her eyes.

"He's Natsume. Quite a lad eh?" she boasted and placed a hand over her son's shoulder. Natsume sat comfortably across his mother and started eating.

Silence ensued on the table and Yuka set down her fork and cleared her throat.

"So you have met each other," she cleared her throat once more and looked at Kaoru for help. Mikan narrowed her eyes and Natsume sat still. "We'll leave you for a few hours to socialize." They decided and stopped eating.

"You're leaving us?" Mikan asked and stuffed a potato in her mouth lazily. Yuka nodded.

"We're locking the manor and I sent the maids away- don't worry, I just gave them a day off." She assured Mikan who was staring at her accusingly. Kaoru nodded.

"Yes. Son, I'm sure you know what to do." She winked at him and wiped her hands. His father nodded and stood up.

"It was nice meeting you, Ms. Yukihara." He extended a hand and she firmly shook it. They shot their kids a look that said 'Don't do anything stupid'. Mikan snorted and Natsume stayed silent.

They left without a word and with a snap of her fingers, the doors closed behind them. Mikan cracked her knuckles and continued pigging away, avoiding his gaze.

"So we're just going to ignore each other?" he asked and set down his fork. Mikan didn't respond.

"I don't have any choice but to be here," he started and Mikan listened without looking. "My mother just forced me into this." He finished lamely and she looked up, slightly startling him.

"You do have a choice. So here's the deal, you don't mind my business and I'll not mind yours. We'll pretend that we've been together the whole day, I'll not elaborate on that," she added and took a sip at her drink. "We'll go separate ways. So what do want to or where do you want to go to?" she finished and set down the utensils.

Natsume was impressed. It's the first time anyone's been frank to him like that. Any girl would force herself on him but she was pushing him away. With, er, harsh words.

"Do you have a library here?" he asked. Mikan narrowed her eyes.

"We do. But I'm staying there so you have to stay somewhere else."

"I'm the guest here. You go somewhere else." He insisted and raised an eyebrow.

"I own this place." She smirked but then that turned into a serious, thinking expression.

"Alright. You stay there, I'll stay somewhere else." She decided and stood up. He followed.

"Where? If one of our parents ask we would have different answers." He smirked.

"I'll be at the game room. If they ask, tell them you've been paying with me, and you lost the game." He stepped forward.

"I'll say I won and you lost."

"No, you lost."

"It's a draw." They said in unison and nodded.

"Mom would arrive here at exactly nine-thirty pm. So we still have-" she looked at her watch.

"Four hours. The library's two doors from the room where you came from." She directed and pointed and he nodded.

They walked towards different directions when-

"Natsume!" she shouted and ran towards him, enveloping him into a tight embrace. He wrapped his arms around her and smelled her male perfume.

"I've been longing for this…" he muttered at her neck. She tightened her embrace.

"Me too."

.

.

.

"Hey!" Mikan shouted at him and kicked him at the knee. Natsume shook his head and cleared his daydreams.

"Are you insane? You're spacing out all of a sudden." She stared at him suspiciously. But he just extended his hand.

"I'm Natsume Hyuuga." He said. She hesitated.

"I know. I'm Mikan Yukihara." She said and clasped his hand.

And with that, they parted ways.

* * *

I'm on a payphone trying to call home all of my change I spent on you…. Chung chung chung ching kung….. Ah, so hard to get the song out of my head.

Now and then I think of when we were together, like when you said you felt so happy you could die.. (matching instruments) I told myself that you were right for me, but felt so lonely in your company... But that was love and it's an ache I still remember.

(HOLLERS) BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO CUT ME OFF! MAKE IT LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED AND THAT WE WERE NOTHING! AND I DON'T EVEN NEED YOUR LOVE, YOU TREAT ME LIKE A STRANGER, THAT FEELS SO ROUGH (Ohhh Whooo- girl in the background).

Aish, please get these songs out of my head! It's damaging others' eardrums!

Review?


	3. Chapter 2

Hey yo peeps! I haven't updated this for so long. Please forgive me. –Le bow-

And if you find this story boring, forgive me again. I don't plan to fast forward anything. Things like in just one day they fell in love, kissed, Natsume's being possessive…Nope. Not going to happen. I'm sorry if by chance, you're disappointed.

Read and review!

**Evasive Her**

**By YourMouthHangingOpen**

Chapter 2: By any Chance

Two women sat across each other, observing their fellow's movements. Each flicker of the eyes, the scratching of the finger tips and the constant draw of breath.

"So honey, what happened? What did the two of you do?" Kaoru glanced at her son who clasped the sides of the seat cautiously. Natsume looked at his mother with a raise of an eyebrow.

"Should I say what we did? I think it should be private." He replied with a sly smile that mirrored his crimson eyes. Kaoru choked at her drink and looked disapprovingly at the woman who was shocked as she was.

"I never knew your daughter could be so…mischievous." She said but a chuckle escaped from the girl beside Yuka.

"Oh, Mrs. Hyuuga. We just played video games. Certainly not, what you are thinking." She replied and set down her glass with a 'clink'.

"And I think so too, that what happened between us should be private, right Natsume?" she winked at him playfully and he returned the gesture. Yuka's eyes were wide but a satisfied nod replaced it.

"It's a good think that you're both getting along." She narrowed her eyes at the woman opposite her.

"So I think we should be going. Enjoy, you two." She motioned for Kaoru and they both stood up and patted their children. Both gave a look that said non-discreetly 'Don't do anything stupid'.

The plaza was so noisy that Mikan cringed and made sure that the business women have left already. She turned her head sideways, wary of the bodyguards that they might have left to watch over them. There was none. Or rather, there was none who dared to look her in the eye, which was a hard thing to do since there was a magnet, an electric spark on her painfully sharp, brown eyes.

Natsume stood quietly and cracked his knuckles.

"How many?"

"Eight. I'll do left." She said and smiled at the waiter who was staring at her and was secretly crossing his fingers at the pocket of his black apron.

"I'll get the remaining. Where do we stock them?" he asked casually and winked convincingly at her that they looked like a normal couple eating lunch outside. He placed a few dollars on the table.

"There's a janitor's closet a few blocks away, right?" she replied monotonously and returned the wink. A few meters away, the waiter dropped the tray.

The crowd was thickening and they walked together, carefully avoiding contact.

"Where are you going?" he said and scanned the crowd for the guards.

"Going somewhere." She replied emotionlessly. He grabbed her arm not too gently.

"Just get this over with. Where are you going?" Natsume hissed and forced her to look at him in the eye. She sighed.

"I'm going to a nearby temple, Kwang-Shi."

He nodded and moved on but the next thing he knew was that he was suppressing the urge to knock the girl out.

"What the hell did you do that for?" his foot throbbed from the pain but he managed to smile at her. It took almost all of his will power not to look menacing.

"Doesn't mean that we shook hands the other day, we're friends and you can just grab me whenever and wherever you want. I'm just acting civil with you." Mikan whispered at his ear and for some bystanders, they might look flirting but the truth was far from that. He smiled again and pinched her cheeks. He then leaned forward to whisper at her ear.

"I don't know that you're a monster. And-" he paused to tuck a stray strand of hair at the side of her face.

"-I do what I want." Her eyes narrowed dangerously but she grinned at him and didn't bother to reply.

The guy opposite her smirked. But that look sent a clear message to the audience, or the people who were staring at them openly. 'That guy is flirting!' but none of them knew that it was actually a grimace, a very beautiful, or rather, handsome grimace, that is.

"Shoot. They got away." He whispered and drank again from his glass… sexily. The temperature in the plaza rose, and suddenly everyone was aware of the two people casually talking, er, flirting.

"Nevermind. So where the hell are we going today? Somewhere different…" She muttered and clasped her hands. Natsume raised an eyebrow then smirked. This time, it was genuine.

"We? I thought we were going separate ways. But if you want to stick with me, well, I could allow you to." He winked and watched the girl's face redden.

"I-I didn't say that." She said defensively and clenched her fists. But the longer the silence the redder her face became. Her ears were flaming and she scratched her head irritably. What was this guy up to? Was he purposely embarrassing her in public? Suddenly, she was aware of the stares that were given to her, and she thought her face was literally burning.

There was a sound. She strained her ears. There it was again. She neared her ear towards the source of the voice when words struck her and she came back to her senses.

"You look like you're going to burst into flames…" Natsume laughed. He hadn't laughed like that in years. He watched her watching him with a murderous glint on her eyes.

"You-You, son of a dog!" she muttered and he burst out laughing again.

"Son of a dog? I never knew…" that was the last straw and Mikan couldn't help herself. She lunged towards him and was about to punch when she caught herself. She held his arm and smiled sweetly.

.

.

.

"And if you would excuse me ma'am, they really look like a stunning couple. Umm…they're flirting now if you would like to know." He added and prayed that he wasn't fired yet. Kaoru nodded at the other line and motioned Yuka to listen.

"Really? What kind of flirting, specifically?" she asked curtly and the guard wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Umm, ma'am, they're whispering at each other's ears and your son, I think he was about to kiss Ms. Yukihara's ear!" he exclaimed and Yuka gasped and was about to crush the phone in Kaoru's hands.

"What?" they replied and caught their breaths. The guard glanced around but the couple was gone. His lungs squeezed and he held the phone tighter.

"Ah… Ma'am? He asked uncertainly, fervently hoping that she hung up.

"Yes." She replied curiously. He prepared himself.

"They're gone. I can't see them anywhere." Kaoru's grip tightened on the phone and her chest rose and fell heavily.

"Let them be. Just… bring me coffee. Now." She fanned herself and faced Yuka's narrowed eyes.

"Your son better have a strong sense of self-discipline. I don't want to be a grandmother yet. " she glared annoyingly and stomped her foot. Kaoru looked taken aback.

"Ha? I bet your daughter's the one who's seducing him. Don't speak ill of my son, I don't even know what's going on inside his head." She hissed and her companion raised an eyebrow reasonably.

"You don't know what's going on inside your son's head? Ha." She raised a hand and raked it through her shiny hair.

"Me too. My daughter's way too stubborn for her own good. If I had it my way, I prefer the personality of your son- obedient and polite." Kaoru sent a disapproving look at her.

"Way too obedient. My son follows me like a puppet. I sometimes wish he's had some of your daughter's rebellious attitude. There's something in her eyes that says something." She sighed and looked at her watch, irritated that the coffee she commanded to be brought to her hasn't arrived yet.

Time passed and the seconds continued to tick by. Kaoru's coffee has grown cold and both women sat in silence. Somehow comfortable with the comfortable uncomfortable silence that enveloped the two of them.

"Remember the time when we used to fish in the Manyas River?" Yuka started and drummed her fingers on the cushioned arm rest of her seat.

"When you fell down because of your own feet?" Kaoru replied and sipped her coffee. A slight smirk was present on her face.

"Hey I was talking about the time when you fell too, and you didn't know how to swim." Yuka had a comeback and she coughed challengingly. Kaoru's eyes were narrowed in concentration to remember. But, she didn't have to. It was as if her mind has stored it in the front most part of her brain, just waiting to be rediscovered.

"I didn't. You were laughing at me—" she said.

"And you grabbed me—"

"by the shoulders so you were underwater." Kaoru finished and a tiny ghost of a smile appeared on her lips. The clock ticked by and the wind blew, taking a strand of Yuka's hair from her neat bun. But enough was said and although it seemed so endearing, so refreshing, those memories that flashed before their eyes, none of them dared to continue. It was past buried deep in the layers of their stone heart that seemed so long, long ago.

.

.

.

"What the hell is your name again?" Mikan muttered harshly and tightened the grip on the boy's arm. The crowd whispered all around them and she was worried that her temper will get away with her. He didn't even flinch.

"Natsume. Natsume Hyuuga." He replied and just stared ahead, eager to get away from the public. And of course- to get away from the deranged girl who was gripping his arm like her life depended on it. Or rather, maybe she wanted to cut off his blood circulation. He didn't flinch but boy, it did hurt.

"When it's over get your hands off me." He turned to stare at her and wasn't surprised to see a fake, sweet smile plastered on her face. Then he knew.

"Don't you like it? A beautiful girl is holding onto you. Any man would die to be in your place." She said.

"Nevermind what I said. I'm indeed, the luckiest man on Earth." He replied with the same charm.

It was a contest of whose will, will break first. But as fate has commanded it, pride had made its way and embedded itself in their minds and made them so obstinate as to just accept what they really wanted to do, and say. In short, they were young, prideful people acting like their ages. Who would want to be married off at the age of 17 and 18?

"You take your arms off me. No one's around." He said nonchalantly. And in an instant, Mikan was meters away from him, rubbing her stiff arms.

"I'll go to that book store. You." She said it like a statement. Natsume remembered about the temple but didn't mention it. He nodded and stretched his arms.

"I'll be going in there too." Mikan stared disbelievingly. –_stretch- -stretch-_

"You're accompanying me?" Natsume saw his chance and stepped forward. She stepped away. They looked like a couple secretly practicing waltz.

"You want me to?" he said in a playful manner. Mikan was mortified. She was embarrassed, angry and now she was madder than ever. But that didn't guarantee that she could move her body, so she stayed still as a statue and let her eyes do the work.

Natsume smirked then it slowly faltered and ended with a sigh. He stepped away and raked a hand over his hair, making it catch the sunlight. Mikan stared.

"Nevermind. Just do whatever you want. We meet here at exactly 4 pm. You tell them that we went to another coffee shop and talked." He said with a wave of his hand as he walked away.

Mikan opened her mouth, closed it again, opened her mouth, then regretted it and just stared at his retreating figure. For the first time in two weeks, she looked at his hair, his lithe but firm figure. She sighed and turned around, too fast, that she didn't see him stop, turn his head, and stare back at her.

* * *

I could guess that you're slightly confused. What will happen to the story? The next chapter, and the next would be dedicated to the person who guessed correctly, or her guess was close enough. Please review!


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